INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
Assessing the Gaps: Developing A Global Child-Specific Climate Risk  
Index to Safeguard Children’s Health, Education, And Development  
in A Warming World  
Musitaffa Mweha  
Independent Researcher  
DOI : https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2025.1412000124  
Received: 01 January 2026; Accepted: 09 January 2026; Published: 14 January 2026  
ABSTRACT  
The escalating climate crisis presents a fundamental threat to child rights globally, yet current measurement  
frameworks remain critically insufficient. This research addresses the urgent gap in child-specific climate risk  
assessment by evaluating the limitations of existing indices and proposing a comprehensive framework for a  
Global Child-Specific Climate Risk Index. Through a systematic desk review of data from UNICEF, WHO, and  
peer-reviewed literature published between 2020 and 2025, this study analyses the physiological, developmental,  
and social vulnerabilities unique to children. Key findings reveal that while over 1 billion children live in  
extremely high-risk countries, mainstream indices such as ND-GAIN and INFORM primarily focus on economic  
assets or general population data, failing to capture child-specific nuances. The research highlights  
multidimensional impacts, documenting how extreme weather disrupts education for millions, exacerbates  
malnutrition, and drives displacement. The analysis demonstrates that without age-disaggregated data,  
adaptation policies inadvertently marginalize children. The paper proposes a new multidimensional indicator  
framework integrating health, education, nutrition, and displacement metrics. It concludes that safeguarding  
children’s future requires an immediate paradigm shift: the integration of standardized, child-centric climate  
metrics into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and international disaster risk reduction strategies. This study  
provides a roadmap for governments and humanitarian organizations to move beyond generic risk assessments  
toward targeted interventions that protect the most vulnerable demographic in a warming world.  
Keywords: Child-specific climate risk index, climate impacts on children, global climate vulnerability  
assessment, children’s health and climate change, climate adaptation for child development, climate-induced  
displacement, child malnutrition and climate.  
INTRODUCTION  
Climate change stands as the defining threat of the 21st century, disproportionately affecting the world's 2.2  
billion children. UNICEF’s 2021 Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) starkly revealed that approximately 1  
billion children nearly half of the global child population face 'extremely high' risk from climate impacts.  
Children possess unique physiological, developmental, and social vulnerabilities that make them susceptible to  
environmental shocks in ways adults are not. Despite this reality, established global climate risk indices like ND-  
GAIN, INFORM, and the Germanwatch CRI largely lack robust, child-specific metrics, focusing instead on  
economic stability or general humanitarian risks. This significant research gap hinders effective policy  
formulation and resource allocation for child protection. This paper critically assesses these methodological  
deficiencies and proposes a comprehensive, standardized child-specific climate risk index. By bridging climate  
science and child development, this research aims to safeguard children’s health, education, and future potential  
against an increasingly volatile climate.  
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RESEARCH QUESTIONS  
1. What are the critical gaps in existing global climate risk indices regarding child-specific vulnerabilities?  
2. How do climate hazards differentially impact children’s health, education, nutrition, and developmental  
outcomes?  
3. What multidimensional indicators should constitute a comprehensive child-specific climate risk index?  
4. How can child-centric climate metrics be integrated into national adaptation policies and international  
frameworks?  
LITERATURE REVIEW  
A. Children’s Unique Climate Vulnerabilities  
Children are not simply "little adults" when facing climate hazards; their biological and social positioning creates  
distinct vulnerability profiles. Sheffield and Landrigan (2011) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (2025)  
emphasize that children’s developing bodies are physiologically more susceptible to environmental stressors.  
Their higher metabolic rates, faster breathing, and immature immune systems mean they absorb more pollutants  
and are less able to regulate body temperature during heatwaves.  
Developmentally, early childhood is a window of high sensitivity. Exposure to toxic stress from extreme weather  
events can permanently alter brain architecture, impairing cognitive and emotional development (Harvard Center  
on the Developing Child, 2025). Furthermore, children face a longer lifetime exposure to climate impacts  
compared to current adults, meaning the cumulative burden of disease and trauma will be significantly higher  
for the current generation (The Lancet Planetary Health, 2025). Socially, children rely almost entirely on adults  
and established systems (schools, healthcare) for protection. When these systems fail during disasters, children  
lose their primary safety nets, exacerbating their risk (UNICEF, 2023). This dependence demonstrates why  
general population metrics often fail to capture the depth of child vulnerability.  
B. Existing Climate Risk Assessment Frameworks  
A review of major climate indices reveals a systemic exclusion of child-specific indicators. The Notre Dame  
Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Country Index is a leading tool for measuring vulnerability and  
readiness. However, Notre Dame (2024) data indicates that its methodology prioritizes national-level economic  
and governance readiness, often using broad population data rather than age-disaggregated metrics. This  
approach obscures the specific needs of the youth demographic.  
Similarly, the INFORM Risk Index, widely used for humanitarian crisis management, focuses heavily on conflict  
and infrastructure. While valuable for general disaster response, UNDRR (2023) reports suggest that INFORM  
lacks sufficient indicators for child education continuity or long-term developmental health, rendering it  
inadequate for assessing chronic climate stresses on children. The Germanwatch Climate Risk Index primarily  
quantifies fatalities and economic losses (Germanwatch, 2025). This economic focus overlooks the "silent"  
crises affecting children, such as malnutrition or lost school days, which do not carry an immediate economic  
price tag but devastate human capital.  
UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (2021) marked a pioneering shift by centering the analysis on children.  
It aggregated data on exposure to climate shocks against child-specific vulnerability. However, scholars argue  
that while CCRI is a crucial first step, it requires refinement in data granularity and standardization to be  
effectively operationalized in national policy planning alongside established economic indices.  
C. Multidimensional Climate Impacts on Children  
The literature documents extensive multidimensional impacts. In the health domain, rising temperatures and  
changing precipitation patterns are expanding the reach of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue, which  
disproportionately kill young children. New research from the Harvard Center (2025) links extreme heat directly  
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to adverse birth outcomes and increased pediatric emergency admissions for respiratory conditions. Mental  
health is emerging as a critical concern, with "eco-anxiety" and trauma from displacement affecting millions.  
Education disruption acts as a secondary but devastating impact. UNICEF (2025) data indicates that in 2024  
alone, 242 million children saw their education disrupted by climate events. Schools often serve as shelters or  
are destroyed during floods, leading to long-term learning gaps that perpetuate cycles of poverty.  
Nutritional security is equally threatened. Dimitrova (2021) and Sehgal et al. (2021) demonstrate a strong  
correlation between drought, crop failure, and increased rates of stunting and wasting in children. Climate-  
induced food price volatility forces families to reduce meal quality, leading to micronutrient deficiencies that  
permanently stunt physical and cognitive growth.  
Displacement represents a severe violation of child rights. Between 2016 and 2021, weather-related disasters  
displaced 43 million children (UNICEF, 2023). Migration often severs access to healthcare and exposes children  
to higher risks of exploitation and violence. Furthermore, the deterioration of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene  
(WASH) infrastructure due to floods or droughts increases the transmission of waterborne diseases, a leading  
cause of under-five mortality.  
D. Regional Vulnerability Hotspots  
Regional analyses highlight disparate impacts. South Asia emerges as a critical hotspot where extreme heatwaves  
and severe flooding threaten over 600 million children (UNICEF India, 2021). The compounding effects of high  
population density and air pollution create a toxic environment for child development.  
In the Sahel, the nexus of climate change and conflict drives profound vulnerability. Recurring droughts decimate  
food security, while resource scarcity fuels conflict, forcing families into displacement and leaving children  
without protection.  
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face existential threats. Ashorn et al. (2025) document how sea-level rise  
and intensifying tropical cyclones in SIDS not only damage physical infrastructure but also erode the  
psychological well-being of children who fear the loss of their homelands. Sub-Saharan Africa remains burdened  
by water scarcity and high disease prevalence, amplifying the climate risk for its largely young population.  
E. Gaps in Current Assessment Methodologies  
The review identifies persistent methodological gaps. There is a lack of standardised child health indicators  
within national climate adaptation planning. Data collection frequently fails to disaggregate by age, masking the  
specific burden on infants and adolescents. Furthermore, current assessments demonstrate weak linkages  
between climate science models and child development research, leading to policies that fail to address the long-  
term human capital implications of climate change.  
METHODOLOGY  
This research employs a unique, systematic desk review methodology to evaluate gaps in climate risk assessment  
and develop a child-specific framework. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic  
Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure rigor and replicability.  
Data Sources and Search Strategy:  
The review synthesised data from authentic international repositories, including UNICEF Data, WHO Global  
Health Observatory, the World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal, and IPCC Assessment Report 6 (AR6).  
Additionally, a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed journals was conducted focusing on publications  
between 2020 and 2025. Keywords used included "child climate vulnerability," "climate risk indices," "pediatric  
environmental health," and "adaptation metrics."  
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Inclusion Criteria:  
The study selected documents that: (1) were published in English between 2020 and 2025; (2) focused  
specifically on children aged 0-18 years; (3) provided quantitative or mixed-methods analysis of climate impacts;  
and (4) discussed measurement frameworks or policy adaptations.  
Analysis Framework:  
The collected data underwent a comparative analysis. Existing indices (ND-GAIN, INFORM, Germanwatch)  
were deconstructed to identify their component indicators and weighting mechanisms. These were then cross-  
referenced against the child vulnerability factors identified in the literature review (health, education, nutrition,  
displacement). This gap analysis facilitated the synthesis of a new, proposed set of indicators.  
Ethical Considerations and Limitations:  
As a desk review utilising publicly available secondary data, ethical approval for human subjects was not  
required. However, the research adhered to strict data accuracy and attribution standards. Limitations include  
the reliance on existing literature which may reflect publication bias toward the Global North, and significant  
data gaps in low-income countries where child climate monitoring systems are weak. Despite these constraints,  
the methodology provides a robust foundation for proposing a standardised global index.  
RESULTS  
A. Comparative Analysis of Existing Climate Risk Indices  
The comparative analysis of major global climate risk indices reveals a significant divergence between general  
risk assessment and child-specific reality. Table 1 summarizes the focus, coverage, and limitations of the primary  
indices reviewed.  
Table 1: Comparison of Major Climate Risk Indices  
Child-Specific  
Indicators  
Limitations For Child  
Assessment  
Index Name  
Primary Focus  
National  
Minimal (uses  
general population  
data)  
Focuses on economic  
readiness; lacks age-  
disaggregated health or  
education metrics.  
ND-GAIN  
Country  
Index  
vulnerability &  
readiness for  
investment  
Humanitarian crisis  
& disaster  
management  
Limited (some  
health/nutrition  
proxies)  
Prioritizes acute  
INFORM  
Risk Index  
conflict/disaster; misses  
chronic developmental  
impacts like learning loss.  
Economic losses &  
fatalities from  
extreme weather  
None  
Purely retrospective;  
overlooks non-economic  
losses crucial to child  
wellbeing.  
Germanwatch  
CRI  
Child exposure &  
vulnerability  
Comprehensive  
Pioneering but currently lacks  
integration into mainstream  
economic planning tools.  
UNICEF  
CCRI  
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The analysis indicates that ND-GAIN and INFORM predominantly use population age structure merely as a  
demographic weight rather than analyzing direct outcomes for children. For instance, a country might score well  
on "health readiness" based on hospital beds per capita, ignoring that pediatric care capacity is non-existent. The  
Germanwatch index, by focusing on economic losses, completely renders invisible the "loss and damage" to a  
child’s development, which has no immediate market price. Only the UNICEF CCRI explicitly centres on the  
child, yet its isolation from broader economic and security indices limits its influence on hard policy decisions.  
There is a clear temporal mismatch; climate data models look decades ahead, while child health surveillance  
often looks at immediate retrospective statistics, creating a gap in predictive protection.  
B. Multidimensional Climate Impacts on Children: Evidence Synthesis  
Synthesizing recent evidence confirms that climate hazards impact children through complex, cascading  
pathways. The quantitative data extracted paints a stark picture of the current crisis.  
Table 2: Climate Hazards and Child-Specific Outcomes (Evidence Synthesis 2020-2025)  
Nutrition  
Impact  
Climate Hazard  
Health Impact  
Education Impact  
Key Statistic  
Extreme Heat  
Heat stress,  
respiratory  
distress, vector-  
borne disease  
School closures due  
to cooling lack;  
cognitive slowing  
Reduced crop  
yield affecting  
diet diversity  
40% increase in  
diarrheal disease in  
children during  
heatwaves (Harvard,  
2025).  
Floods & Storms  
Injury,  
Infrastructure  
Crop destruction, 242 million children  
waterborne  
diseases  
(Cholera),  
trauma  
destruction, use of  
schools as shelters  
supply chain  
disruption  
had education  
disrupted in 2024  
(UNICEF, 2025).  
Drought  
Dehydration,  
malnutrition  
complications  
Drop-out to fetch  
water (girls  
disproportionately)  
Stunting,  
Wasting,  
Micronutrient  
deficiency  
Rising temperatures  
linked to slowing  
early childhood  
milestones (Lancet,  
2025).  
Displacement  
Loss of  
continuity of  
care,  
Total loss of access,  
language barriers  
Dependency on  
aid, food  
insecurity  
13 million school-age  
children displaced  
2020-2023  
vaccination  
gaps  
(UNICEF).  
The evidence synthesis highlights that impacts are rarely isolated. Asingle flood event not only destroys a school  
(Education) but contaminates water sources (Health/WASH) and destroys crops (Nutrition), creating a  
"polycrisis" for the child. The statistic that 242 million children faced education disruption in 2024 is particularly  
alarming, as it represents a massive loss of future human capital. Furthermore, the correlation between heat  
exposure and a 40% increase in diarrheal disease underscores the physiological fragility of children.  
This world map visualisation in Figure 1 clearly demonstrates extremely High Risk Zones (Dark Red):  
1. Sahel Region (West/Central Africa)  
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Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Sudan  
Primary threats: Drought, Food Insecurity  
2. South Asia  
India (north and central regions), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan  
Primary threats: Extreme Heat, Floods, Cyclones  
3. Small Island Developing States (SIDS)  
Caribbean: Haiti, Dominican Republic, small island nations  
Pacific: Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji  
Indian Ocean: Maldives, Comoros  
Primary threats: Sea Level Rise, Cyclones  
Figure 1 is a heat-map visualisation showing geographical inequality of climate risk exposure among children  
globally. Extremely high-risk zones (dark red) concentrate in the Sahel region, South Asia (India, Pakistan,  
Bangladesh, Afghanistan), and Small Island Developing States. The map illustrates that 1 billion children live  
in 33 countries classified as extremely high risk, with climate hazards including drought, extreme heat, flooding,  
and sea-level rise.  
Figure 1: Global Distribution of Child Climate Vulnerability.  
Data sources: UNICEF Children's Climate Risk Index (2021-2025), WHO climate and health indicators.  
C. Critical Indicator Gaps in Current Assessments  
Based on the gaps identified in current indices and the multidimensional nature of the risks, this study proposes  
a comprehensive set of indicators necessary for a robust Child-Specific Climate Risk Index. These indicators  
move beyond generic measures to capture child-centric realities.  
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Table 3: Proposed Child-Specific Climate Risk Indicators  
Category  
Proposed Indicators  
Rationale  
1. Exposure  
- Frequency of heatwaves >35°C  
- Flood return periods relative to  
school locations  
- PM2.5 concentrations at child  
height  
Captures physical hazards  
specifically relevant to child  
physiology and daily routines  
(e.g., school attendance).  
- Drought duration in growing  
seasons  
2. Sensitivity  
- Under-5 mortality rate  
- Prevalence of stunting/wasting  
- Immunization coverage rates  
- Baseline respiratory disease  
prevalence  
Measures the pre-existing  
health conditions that make  
children less able to  
withstand shocks.  
3. Adaptive  
Capacity  
- Child-sensitive social protection  
coverage  
- School infrastructure resilience  
score  
Assesses the specific systems  
(schools, safety nets) required  
to support child resilience.  
- Youth participation in climate  
policy  
- WASH access in schools and homes  
These proposed indicators fill the critical voids identified. For example, measuring "PM2.5 at child height"  
acknowledges that children breathe closer to the ground where some pollutants settle. Including "School  
infrastructure resilience" links disaster risk directly to education continuity, a connection missing in indices like  
ND-GAIN.  
D. Regional Case Study Analysis  
The application of this lens to specific regions reveals distinct vulnerability profiles.  
Figure 2: Regional Vulnerability Profiles: Climate Hazards and Child-Specific Impacts.  
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Below is an analysis of primary climate hazards and child-specific impacts across three extremely high-risk  
regions.  
South Asia: The analysis confirms South Asia as a region of compound risk. With over 600 million children  
exposed, the primary drivers are extreme heat and flooding. The high population density means that even  
localized hazards affect millions. Air pollution acts as a constant multiplier of health risk.  
The Sahel: This region exhibits the highest scores for nutritional insecurity. The convergence of climate change  
(drought) and conflict creates a unique profile where adaptive capacity is severely eroded. Children here are  
most at risk of "wasting" and displacement, creating a generation with profound developmental trauma. The  
Sahel faces drought-driven malnutrition crises with stunting rates of 40-50%.  
SIDS (Small Island Developing States): While total child populations are smaller, the risk is existential. The  
primary indicator here is displacement risk due to sea-level rise and intensifying cyclones. Unlike other regions  
where adaptation might mean changing crops, for SIDS children, it may mean losing their national identity and  
citizenship, a psychological burden unmatched elsewhere.  
The common vulnerability factor across all regions is inadequate child-critical services (healthcare, education,  
WASH), which amplifies climate impacts on children's health and development.  
DISCUSSION  
A. Critical Gaps in Existing Climate Risk Indices  
Addressing the first research question, this study argues that mainstream climate indices inadequately capture  
child vulnerabilities because they were designed for economic and geopolitical stability, not human  
development. ND-GAIN and Germanwatch view climate risk through the lens of GDP protection and state  
stability. Consequently, the "quiet" violence of climate change against children such as a gradual increase in  
malnutrition or a subtle decline in cognitive development due to heat goes unmeasured.  
Data availability remains a significant barrier. Many nations do not collect age-disaggregated data on climate  
impacts. When a disaster strikes, death tolls are often reported in totals, obscuring how many children perished.  
Methodological biases toward economic metrics incentivize investments in physical infrastructure (roads,  
bridges) over social infrastructure (schools, pediatric clinics). This confirms the hypothesis that without specific  
child-sensitive indicators, as referenced in the literature, adaptation planning will continue to exhibit a "blind  
spot" toward the youngest demographic.  
B. Differential Climate Impacts on Children’s Wellbeing  
Regarding the second research question, the results demonstrate that climate hazards do not impact children and  
adults equally. The mechanisms of vulnerability are distinct. In health, the Harvard Center (2025) findings on  
heat stress illustrate physiological vulnerability; a heatwave that is uncomfortable for an adult can be fatal for an  
infant. In education, the cascade effects are profound. A destroyed school does not just mean missed classes; it  
often leads to permanent dropout, early marriage for girls, or entry into hazardous child labour.  
Intersectionality plays a crucial role. A disabled child in a flood-prone region of Bangladesh faces exponentially  
higher risks than a non-disabled peer. Gender norms also dictate vulnerability; in drought-affected areas of the  
Sahel, girls are often the first to be pulled from school to walk longer distances for water. This differential impact  
confirms that a "one size fits all" adaptation strategy is fundamentally flawed.  
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C. Framework for Comprehensive Child-Specific Climate Risk Index  
Addressing the third research question, this paper proposes an integrated framework built on the IPCC’s  
definition of vulnerability: Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity.  
Exposure metrics must move beyond national averages to geospatial mapping of child populations against  
hazards.  
Sensitivity must incorporate biological and developmental indicators like stunting and immunization rates,  
which serve as proxies for a child's biological reserve.  
Adaptive Capacity must be redefined to include "child-critical services." It is not enough that a country has a  
disaster fund; the question is, does that fund specifically allocate resources for rebuilding schools and restoring  
nutrition programs?  
This proposed framework aligns with recent improvements in the UNICEF CCRI but pushes further by  
advocating for the inclusion of "future-oriented" indicators, such as projected education loss, rather than just  
historical data.  
Figure 3: Framework for Comprehensive Child-Specific Climate Risk Index  
The index integrates three core pillars based on IPCC vulnerability framework: Exposure (geospatial mapping  
of climate hazards), Sensitivity (biological and developmental vulnerability), and Adaptive Capacity (child-  
critical services and future-oriented indicators). The integrated risk score calculation advances beyond existing  
indices by incorporating child-specific metrics and forward-looking projections.  
D. Policy Integration and Implementation Pathways  
Finally, addressing the fourth research question, the integration of these metrics into policy is paramount.  
National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) serve as the primary  
vehicles for climate action. Currently, the ECDAN report (2025) notes that young children are frequently  
invisible in these documents.  
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UNICEF and WHO have a critical role in standardizing these metrics. By establishing a global monitoring  
framework, they can provide the data confidence governments need to invest. Furthermore, child participation  
is essential.  
Figure 4: Implementation Pathway for Child-Specific Climate Risk Index  
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Policies designed “for” children often fail; policies designed “with” children, utilizing their unique insights into  
local risks, are more resilient. Implementation requires breaking silos; Ministries of Health, Education, and  
Environment must share data to create a holistic view of child risk.  
The operational framework in Figure 2 progresses through five stages from data collection to policy integration,  
emphasizing the translation from geospatial analysis to actionable policy interventions through National  
Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and child protection frameworks  
The flowchart in Figure 2 shows the operational application of the framework from data collection to policy  
integration:  
Stage 1: Data Collection: Multi-source data gathering (climate, demographics, health, education)  
Stage 2: Pillar Assessment: Parallel evaluation of Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity  
Stage 3: Index Calculation: Formula application with risk categorization (Low → Extreme)  
Stage 4: Vulnerability Mapping: National rankings and sub-national hotspot identification  
Stage 5: Policy Integration: Integration into NAPs, NDCs, DRR strategies, and child protection frameworks  
RECOMMENDATIONS  
To safeguard children in a warming world, governments must immediately integrate the standardised child-  
specific indicators proposed in this study into their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and disaster risk reduction  
strategies. UNICEF and WHO should collaborate to establish a robust global monitoring framework that  
mandates age-disaggregated data collection for all climate-related impacts. International climate finance  
mechanisms, including the Green Climate Fund, must prioritise and track funding specifically for child-focused  
adaptation interventions in high-risk regions like the Sahel and SIDS. Furthermore, research institutions need to  
foster deep interdisciplinary collaboration between climate scientists, public health experts, and child  
development specialists to refine predictive models. Finally, policymakers must institutionalize meaningful child  
and youth participation in climate governance, ensuring that the voices of those most affected shape the solutions  
that will define their future.  
CONCLUSION  
This research has identified a critical and dangerous gap in current global climate risk assessment: the systemic  
invisibility of children. With over 1 billion children currently facing extreme climate risk, the reliance on generic,  
economic-focused indices is no longer tenable. This paper contributes a comparative analysis of existing  
frameworks and proposes a necessary shift toward a multidimensional, child-specific risk index. The findings  
underscore that the climate crisis is fundamentally a child rights crisis, threatening health, education, and  
survival. A standardised index is not merely an academic exercise but an imperative tool for survival, guiding  
targeted intervention where it is needed most. Future research must focus on validating these proposed indicators  
through regional pilot studies and establishing longitudinal tracking. Safeguarding the next generation requires  
that we measure what matters, moving from general observation to precise, child-centred action.  
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS  
This research was conducted as a desk review utilizing publicly available secondary data and reports. As such,  
it did not involve direct interaction with human subjects, and formal ethical approval was not required. The  
author declares no conflicts of interest.  
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Data Availability  
All data analysed in this study are derived from publicly available repositories, including UNICEF Data, the  
World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal, and open-access peer-reviewed literature.  
REFERENCES  
1. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2025). Policy statement: Global climate change and children’s health.  
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2. Ashorn, M., Allen, T., & Guo, J. (2025). Assessing children’s vulnerability to climate change in Small  
Island Developing States. PLOS Climate, 4(2), e0000789.  
3. Azhar, G., et al. (2021). Heat wave vulnerability mapping for India. International Journal of  
Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 3390.  
4. Bellizzi, S., et al. (2020). Health consequences of drought in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean  
Region. Environmental Health, 19(1).  
5. Dimitrova, A. (2021). Seasonal droughts and the risk of childhood undernutrition in Ethiopia. World  
Development, 141, 105417.  
6. Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN). (2025). Young children in national climate  
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